Edward walked down the corridor and to the last stall. He slowly entered to see Debra sitting on the floor against the wall. He walked over and slid down the wall next to her. He sat there for a while before he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Are you all right?"
"No." Debra said. "I lost it out there. I don't know what I was doing."
"You did what you thought was right. Are you hurt? I noticed a couple broken boards on my way back here."
"No, I'm not hurt. Just my pride, I guess. I shouldn't have taken it that far. I could be arrested."
"I don't think that's going to happen." Edward said.
"I was just so mad when I saw you and Marcus in handcuffs. Especially when he didn't do anything wrong."
"I know darling."
"I wanted to hit them or shoot them or something, but I knew they would just arrest me. If it wasn't for one of the babies kicking me, I might have."
"I guess I can thank them for that." He said as he put his hand on her belly. "Hopefully this will get them to back off."
"Yeah, maybe." Debra turned and looked at Edward. "I would do anything for you. I love you so much." She said then kissed him.
"I love you, darling." He said then pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. They kissed a few long moments before they separated. Edward held her tight. "I was trying to defuse the situation, but it got out of hand."
"Well, they thought they could do what they wanted on the road."
"How did you know where the property line was?"
"I checked on it, the day after I threw them off the property. I was wondering how close they could come."
"Oh. Well in the case, it worked."
"Hey boss, Storm is warmed up." Josh called on the radio.
Edward took a deep breath then reached over and pulled his radio off his belt. "Ok. On my way." He said. "Duty calls."
"I guess so. Is Marcus here?"
"Yes. He wanted to see the progress I was making."
"Ok. Give me a few more minutes."
"Take all the time you need, darling." Edward said then released his hold on her. She moved back. He got up off the floor. "I love you, darling. Thanks for coming out there."
"You're welcome." Debra said then smiled. Edward walked out. Debra sat there for a few more minutes then pulled herself off the floor. She dusted herself off then walked out of the stall. She walked out to the bathroom and went inside. She went to the bathroom then came out of the stall and washed her hands. She noticed a scratch on her hand and washed it out. It started to bleed a little. She dried her hands and held the paper towel over the scratch. She walked out and over to Josh sitting on top of the fence. "Do you have a first aid kit around?"
"Yeah, up in the office. Anything serious?"
"No, just a scratch. I just want to cover it."
"It's right inside the door of the office."
"Thanks." Debra said then walked away. She walked around to the steps and upstairs to the office. She went inside, found the first-aid kit and pulled out a band-aid. She put it on.
"I hope it's nothing serious." Marcus said from the doorway.
Debra turned around. "No, it's just a scratch from one of the boards I broke. She walked towards him and out the door. "I took my frustration out on the stalls downstairs." She said as she walked over to the railing overlooking the arena.
"Thank you." Marcus said as he walked up and stood next to her. "For everything you did out there. I know you mostly did it for Edward."
"I did it for you both. They had no right to treat you like that when you didn't do anything wrong." Debra said. "I went a little too far, though."
"You sure surprised the heck out of me."
"Yeah, but they could bring changes up on me."
"I hope they don't. I would hate to break you out of jail."
"If they know what's good for them, they will back off. I'm not the same person I was a few months ago."
"How so?"
"Well, I'll start a little farther back. When I came home for winter break in college, they were gone. I went to the house and other people were living there. I asked around, but nobody knew where they were. I slept in my car and went back to college. It was during my second year when Nico died. I'm sorry that I can't call him my father."
"You never knew him as that."
"I got a letter a couple of weeks after he was killed that Edith wrote to me saying I was safe. There wasn't a return address. I was so mad at them that I tried to forget the things that they taught me. I stayed at college when I could. I graduated top in my class and got recruited at an accounting firm in New York. When I got fired after five years, I decided to go to LA to start over. During a stop, I got a hotel room and went down to the bar. I got picked up by a man, drugged and dropped off on Edward's ranch."
"So, that's how you came to be here."
"Edward found me and nursed me back to health and we fell in love. I started remembering what Edith and Jason taught me. I am a marksman in several weapons, and I become a stronger person inside. I finally found my place here and the men respect me. Nobody will take anything from me again."
"After my father was killed, I was told I had to take over his business. It took me a couple of years to make it a legal empire. I partially own several businesses. I don't want anything to do with anything my father was doing. That's why I took over my birth name." Marcus said. "I remember your mother. She was raising me until she was killed. She was one of the nicest women that was brought there."
"Did your father bring a lot of women there?"
"There were several, but he seemed to like your mother the most for a while. He said she was special."
"When Edward and I were on our honeymoon, we went to where she grew up. She had a way with animals that nobody understood. Sort of like Edward." She said as she watched him.
"Yes, he does seem to have a way with Storm." Marcus said. They watched Edward for a while. "I am glad your mother got you to safety. You may not have had the best life, but you are alive."
"Thanks." Debra said. "I should get back up to the house and get some lunch. The little ones are getting restless."
"Can I drive you?"
"No, I have the quad. And before you say anything, it's safe for me to ride."
"All right. Would you and Edward like to join me and my friends for dinner? You can pick the place."
"That would be nice, but we have family coming in for the weekend."
"Bring them along. I would like to meet them. Think about it, Debra."
"Ok. I'll think about it." Debra said then walked away.
Debra was laying on the bed crying later in the afternoon when Edward walked in. He hurried to her. "What's wrong?" He asked as he pulled her up and into his arms.
Debra cried against his chest. "I don't know. I was laying here trying to rest and just started crying."
"It probably just the events of the past couple of days catching up with you."
"Maybe." Debra said then calmed down. "I feel better now that your arms are around me."
"That's what I'm here for." Edward said. "How do you feel otherwise? I noticed you were baking again."
"I'm feeling fine."
"That's good. Jared called a few minutes ago and they will be here in about an hour."
"That's good."
"So, Marcus said he invited us all out for dinner. What do you think?"
"I don't know."
"I can get one of the guys to watch the boys and the adults can go out for a nice dinner. That way you don't have to cook. You had enough stress today. You need to relax."
"I suppose if Jared and Carrie are up for it."
"I'll make the arrangements, then. Marcus said his hotel has a nice dining room."
"All right. What time does Ace get off work?"
"I don't know. I'll call him and see." Edward said then pulled Debra back and looked at her. "I love you, darling."
"I love you." Debra said then kissed him.
"You rest for a while. I'll make arrangement then I'll be back to shower."
"Ok." Debra said as she laid back on the bed.
Edward got up and walked toward to the doorway. He looked back at Debra. "I won't be long." He said then walked out.
Edward sat in the office waiting for Debra with Jared and Carrie a while later. "Carrie, are you sure Debra is all right up there?"
"Yes, Edward. Be patient."
"She doesn't have to dress up."
"She wants to look nice for you. She'll be down shortly." Carrie said.
"We are going to be late. Can you try to hurry her up?"
"I think my impatience is wearing off on you." Debra said as she came through the door.
Edward stood up and hurried to her. "You look beautiful." He said. "Not that you didn't before."
"Thank you. Shouldn't we go?"
"Yes." Edward smiled.
"Do you want to drive?" Jared asked. "You probably know where you're going better than I do."
"It doesn't matter to me." Edward said.
Jared handed over his keys. "We'll sit in the back."
"Whatever you say, bro." Edward said. They walked out the door.
Marcus met them at the entrance of the hotel. " I'm glad you decided to come." He said as he hugged Debra.
"Marcus, this is my brother, Jared and his wife, Carrie."
"Nice to meet you." Marcus said as he shook Jared's hand. "Shall we sit down?"
"Yes." Debra said.
Marcus led them to a table. "This is Bobby and Ricardo." He introduced his friends. "This is Edward's brother, Jared and his wife, Carrie. And you remember Edward and Debra."
"Welcome." Ricardo said as he shook everyone's hand.
They sat down at the table. "You look pretty tonight, Debra." Marcus said. "You didn't need to dress up, though."
"It gave me an excuse."
"Well, I'm glad you came."
"After today, I didn't feel like cooking."
"I don't blame you." Marcus said. "This is my way of saying thank you for all that you did for me."
"It's not a big deal."
"It is for me." Marcus said. "Except for Ricardo, you're the only one that have put themselves out there for me."
"Marcus told us you almost shot your foster parents." Ricardo said.
"I wanted to so bad, but I didn't. Hopefully they will back off."
"Maybe."
They looked at their menus and the waiters came around and took their order.
"So, Edward. Marcus tells us you're making progress with Storm." Bobby said.
"Yes, I have, even in the few short sessions I've had." Edward said.
"When do you think we'll be able to take him home?"
"That's up to him. He's making progress, but I still haven't been able to get on him yet. He has issues that I'm working on one by one."
"Do you think you'll be able to fix him?"
"If anybody can, it will be Edward." Jared said.
"Do you know a lot about horses, too? I mean, does it run in the family?" Bobby asked.
"I know some, but Edward is the expert. As for as running in the family, we are foster brothers."
"Oh. So, what do you do for a living?"
"I'm in law enforcement."
"A family of law." Ricardo said sarcastically.
"Yes, but me and Ace are on Edward's and Debra's side on all this. We don't overuse our power."
"Not like home, I guess."
"Edith and Jason are in their own little world. We don't know what they do. Don't take what they do out on us." Debra said looking at Ricardo.
"I apologize." Ricardo said. "I guess I'm not use to people who know where we come from being on our side."
"Unless you do something to our family or our livelihood, you have nothing to fear." Debra said.
"We are on the straight and narrow."
"That's good to know."
"Now that we got that out of the way, let's enjoy the rest of the dinner." Marcus said.
Debra took a deep breath. "Excuse me. I'm going to use the restroom before the food comes." She said as she stood up.
"It's down that hall." Marcus pointed.
"Thank you." Debra said then walked away.
Debra came out a few minutes later and saw Edward standing there. He stepped towards her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. I just needed to use the restroom."
"You know you don't have to defend me all the time."
"Does it insult your manhood?"
"Not really, but sometimes you have to let me be the head of the house and defend you."
"I'll try to remember that. They just get me so angry."
"I know." Edward said. "But this is supposed to be a fun night."
"They started it."
"I know, but you don't need to stress yourself."
"I know." Debra said. She put her arm around Edward's waist. "Let's go out and eat. I'll try to be good."
"Ok." Edward said then walked her back to the table. He pulled out her chair and sat down. The waitress handed out the food. They all ate rather quietly.
When everyone was done, Marcus stood up. "I want to propose a toast." He said. Everyone picked up their glasses. "To Debra and Edward for letting us into their family, to having my back and having faith that people can change things for the better." They raised their glasses and took a drink. Marcus sat down.
"Thank you." Debra said.
"I'm really glad I found you."
"You may not be so glad. Bad things seem to happen around me or to me."
"What do you mean?"
"Trouble always seem to follow me."
"I don't believe that."
"She's right. Accidents and trouble are her middle names." Edward said.
"I got drugged, beat up, and left for dead. I was caught in a mud slide. Me, Edward, Ace and Jared were handcuffed and brought to the station. I almost lost the babies. I'm bad news, Marcus."
"No, you're not. If that wouldn't have happened, you wouldn't have found love with Edward."
"I guess."
"I rescued her and now she's rescuing me." Edward said. "She even rescued me from an injured and hungry cougar."
"Really?"
"Yes." Edward said.
"How did that happen?"
"I was out for a ride with my nephew and a cougar jumped us. It knocked us off my horse. She found us and ended up with a great shot in the head before it got to one of my men."
"And all this happened when you were pregnant?" Ricardo asked.
"Yes." Debra said.
"She's been amazing. She has brought love and life back to the ranch." Edward said.
"I can tell that you two are really happy." Marcus said. "I wish I could find love like that."
"I wasn't really looking. I worked long hours on the ranch and put all my efforts into that." Edward said. "When I found Debra, my whole life changed."
"And you started a family right away?" Ricardo asked.
"Actually, I was already pregnant when I came here. I didn't know that I was, though. The father has already told me he wants nothing to do with the babies."
"I wish I would have known you before. I would have told that guy a few things." Marcus said.
"I'm not worried about it anymore." Debra said. "We will raise these children with more love and family than they will ever need." She said as she put one hand on her belly and took Edward's hand in the other.
"I love you, darling." Edward said as me smiled.
"I love you."
"So, Marcus, tell us about your life." Jared said.
"Well, my mother died during childbirth, so I was raised by women in the compound. Debra's mother was among them. After it was raided, I was taken to a small town and raised by good people. I rarely saw my father because he was trying to find Debra, which I didn't know. I just knew he wasn't around. I graduated and went to college. I was in my senior year of college when he died. I was told I had to take over his dealings, but I didn't want to be looking over my shoulder all the time, so I slowly got out of all the illegal stuff and now I'm in all legal businesses. Despite what others might think."
"That's good."
"And when did you meet Ricardo and Bobby?"
"Ricardo was my roommate in college. He is the businessman. Bobby was actually one of children on the compound who decided to stay. I got everyone together one day when I decided what to do. I told them my plan and told them they could either stay or go. Most of them left."
"That's too bad."
"No. Most of them were being held captive by my father's men. I fired them and most of them are in jail now. I turned them into the authorities anonymously with evidence against them."
"Do they know it was you who turned them in?"
"I'm sure they figured it out. I'm not worried. They are thugs."
"But when they get out, they might come after you."
"I don't think so. Besides most of them will be in for life. Some already died in jail."
"Oh."
"I keep tabs on them."
"Well, that's good."
"So, Edward, I read that you breed horses on your ranch. Maybe we can talk business on a couple of mares for Storm before I head home."
"We can sit down on one day and discuss it. Jared and his family are here for the weekend, so maybe Monday, we can get together?"
"That sounds great."
Debra's phone rang. She reached inside her purse and looked at the display. "It's Marshal Philips. I better take it. Excuse me." She said then got up from the table. She walked away.
"I thought she didn't talk to the marshals." Marcus said.
"He has become an ally after she bloodied his lip when she first met him. He might be calling to see how she is."
"She still doesn't trust me, does she?"
"It takes her time to trust people after what has happened to her."
"I hope to be able to gain he trust. I'm not a bad person."
"Just give her more time."
"I'm planning on keeping in touch. She's my little sister and I want to know her since I never did."
"I can understand that, but if you push too hard, she won't let you in. You have to let her open up to you."
"I'll try."
"Good." Edward said. "I would like another brother."
"Yes, the more brothers we have, the more trouble we can get into." Jared said.
"And the more you can break." Carrie said. Everyone laughed.
"We haven't broken anything since we wrecked the truck last year. But we had fun." Jared said.
"Yes, we did." Edward said.
"It sounds like it was."
"I calmed down since Debra came into my life. She worries enough. I try not to put more on her."
"I'm sure the added stress from today didn't do her any good."
"She's good, though. One of the babies kicked her as she was holding the gun. She said if it hadn't, she might have done something stupid."
"I'm glad she didn't."
"We all are." Carrie said.
Debra came back to the table and sat down. "Marshal Philips is reviewing the whole case and he said he's going to tell his boss to get them to back off. I told him about the men going to jail and he's going to check into that. He going to suggest a suspension for the actions for today."
"Thank you, Debra." Marcus said.
"You're welcome. They can't go around pulling people from their vehicles and arresting them for no reason."
"Let's try to forget about that for now."
"So, if Ricardo is the businessman, what does that make you?"
"I guess that makes me the money man. He finds the investments and then I back him up and we both make money."
"Well, most of the time." Ricardo said. "We actually had a meeting this morning for another investment."
"Oh. Does that mean you'll be sticking around?"
"Well, maybe. Once Storm is better, we'll take him home, but if this deal goes through, I'll probably will be back from time to time."
"That will be nice." Debra and then smiled. They sat and talked to a while longer before they all decided it had been a long day. They walked out of the hotel, said their good-bye's then left.